The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at Dartford will be closed from 11pm today, Tuesday, January 2 for safety reasons as Storm Eleanor is expected to bring high winds to the area.

The bridge is expected to re-open between before the peak period tomorrow morning, Wednesday January 3. That could change as winds are forecast to continue until 2pm.

Highways England will continue to monitor wind speeds closely before making any decision to reopen the QEII Bridge. The tunnel will operate in both directions when the bridge is closed.

The east tunnel will close at 9pm tonight to allow time to build crossovers in preparation for the bridge closure.

Traffic travelling on the M25 anticlockwise to take the A282 from Kent into Essex via the Dartford Tunnel will be affected from 9pm.

Traffic on the M25 clockwise to take the A282 from Essex into Kent will not be affected until the closure at 11pm,

Tonight’s planned maintenance works have been cancelled to allow both tunnels to be used.

Drivers planning to travel are encouraged to plan their journey in advance and check the latest weather and traffic conditions along the route. You can get latest forecast from BBC weather, the Met Office, and local radio.

Drivers making journeys across the region should be aware of sudden gusts of wind, and give high sided vehicles, caravans motorbikes and bicycles plenty of space.